Last night on Saturday Night Live, Jonah Hill returned to his hosting duties to somewhat mixed results. To our minds, Hill was a little underused, or maybe used in the wrong way — he was too often the straight man and not let off the leash enough. And while he broke a little too often, we found it more charming than awkward, which isn’t always the case. Plus, the Shins were predictably wonderful as musical guest, and there was one instance of the most advanced makeup we’ve ever seen on the show (even if the skit it appeared in was wildly uncomfortable). Click through to watch the best and worst sketches of the night, and let us know how you thought Jonah Hill did in the comments.
The Best:
J-Pop America Fun Time Now
We admit, we’re suckers for this sketch in its every incarnation. But we particularly liked Jonah Hill’s Cartman-esque “samurai” guest spot — even if he totally lost it on stage. Not to mention the “try harder faces” and their professor’s schadenfreude at their bodily harm.
Weekend Update: Stefon on Spring
Nope, it never gets old.
Benihana
Adam Grossman, one of the highlight’s of Hill’s last hosting gig, is back. The loud-mouthed six year old is offensive and obnoxious, but so amused with himself that you can’t help but laugh along.
The Worst:
The Rush Limbaugh Show
There’s almost no joke here, it’s just a bunch of names for terrible companies being read back by Taran Killam in a Limbaugh-voice. Given all that’s been going on, we would have thought they could do a little bit better.
Digital Short: Science Finders
This is an entire 3-and-a-half minute sketch — digital short no less — about a guy getting hit in the groin with a tennis ball. There is no other joke. We’ve seen lazy writing from SNL before, but this one takes the cake.
Liza Minelli Tries To Turn Off A Lamp
This sketch wasn’t that bad, it was just one joke stretched a little too long, and it seemed a little unpracticed, at least when it came to matching up the sound effects to the actions. Wiig was great as Liza Minelli — no one does ‘crazy lady’ of any stripe like her — and Hill had the stereotypical stagey accent down pat, but we just couldn’t stay with it.